Giuseppe Verdi was born in the little town of Roncole in the vicinity of Parma and spent the longest period of his life in seclusion close to Parma. He died in Milan in 1901. Today, the region of Parma honours its one-time fellow citizen with the international Verdi Festival organized by the Teatro Regio di Parma. Every year, Verdi’s masterworks are performed in the historical theatres of Parma and neighbouring Busseto over 28 days in the autumn. International singers such as Leo Nucci, Marcelo Álvarez, Renato Bruson, Fiorenza Cedolins, Daniela Dessì and Nino Machaidze and conductors such as Yuri Temirkanov and Gianluigi Gelmetti help to raise these performances to the level of highly acclaimed events in the operatic calendar. Directors include Pier Luigi Pizzi, Daniele Abbado and Pier’Alli. The Teatro Regio was opened during Verdi’s lifetime, in 1829, as the Nuovo Teatro Ducale. It is regarded as one of the most important theatres in Italy. Its audiences, in particular, enjoy a very special reputation as one of the most critical in the world. Many singers report on the fears that grip them while onstage, and others tell about the moments of bliss when they are acclaimed there. It is said that tenors who fail on the stage of the Regio are punished even by the porters at local hotels, who refuse to carry their luggage for them.